On a Whim
by The Wonderless Wizard of Oz
Summary: *Post XIII*   For the better part of the past six months, Lightning Farron had maintained a comfortable distance between her and NORA's barmaid. But what happens when her crush wants to come back home with her?  *LightningxLebreau shoujo-ai*
1. Chapter 1

So, here's my obligatory Shoujo-ai pairing piece. It was originally going to be a one shot, but as the chapter got bigger, I decided to split it in two parts. I chose Lightning and Lebreau for this pairing because hey. The smexy barmaid doesn't get enough script time. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and all dat Jazz, so... yeah.

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><p><span>On A Whim<span>

ACT 1

Nora Bar, New Bodhum-2AF

"Welcome back Light! What can I getcha?" Lebreau, the bubbly Raven haired barmaid greeted.

"Oh hey, the usual please." Lightning Farron replied with her neutral tone.

Lightning looked around the colourfully lit room as she took a seat at a stool infront of the main bar. There were only a handful of people scattered about the place tonight-regulars at that. It was just the way she liked it. With no slackjawed losers to hit on her, she could simply wind down (or at least pretend to keep Snow and her sister from worrying about her) after a day's worth of 'work'.

...And she could quietly admire Lebreau as she went about her trade.

Lightning found it hard to believe that only 6 pulse months ago, New Bodhum was just a collection of shanties defended by her, Snow, Lebreau, and what was left of NORA against constant monster raids. But thanks to Hope Estheim's newly formed Academia, those days were long gone. With the Academia's rapid development of post Fal C'ie technology, New Bodhum now rivaled the beauty of its former Cocoon counterpart. Lebreau, and her other NORA comrades had more or less disbanded themselves as NORA-there was no longer any need for it to exist other than as a fancy name for the bar. And Snow and Serah could finally have their happily ever after(despite Lightning's continued doubts about him), now that New Bodhum had a full strength Guardian Corps batallion to watch over it-with Lightning as its Garrison Commander. For her personally, saving Cocoon yielded bittersweet results. She had a well paying job(albeit a boring one when compared to fighting on the frontlines) to keep her mind distracted from the painful sacrifice Vanille and Fang had made for all of this to be possible. But nothing more.

In an average day, Lightning's only highlight, was visiting Lebreau at her bar for an hour or two before heading back to her lonely abode by the beach to bury herself in whatever deskwork she hadn't finished during the day. Lightning and Lebreau had grown close to one another during the initial resettlement phase, and Lightning continued the comradery simply for its own sake once things had settled down. At least that's how it was initially. At time marched on to the here and now, Lightning and Lebreau found more and more to talk about, and Lightning often found herself staying till closing time and occasionally 'convinced' the patron or two who had too much alcohol to leave for her. When thoughts about Lebreau deprived her of sleep, Lightning began to question what Lebreau had meant to her exactly. Once the dreams began to occupy the few good nights worth of sleep she got, the questioning stopped. Lightning cared deeply for the barmaid, she knew that much. She wanted to call it love, but she was no expert in the field by any sense of the word, so Lightning settled on labelling her feelings as 'long term infatuation'. But it made little difference in reality. Assuming Lightning even knew how to act on such feelings, he held herself back out of fear of rejection. Fear of losing their friendship. And fear of letting somebody past the gates of her iron clad heart.

And there were plenty of reasons to become infatuated with her as well. Lightning observed her intently as she reached up to grab a bottle from the cabinet. She wore a yellow and teal variant of her usual attire. Lebreau was the only one Lightning knew of who could make wearing a bikini top over a loosely worn shirt look fashionable and not dorky. And those tight hotpants where short enough to be counted as briefs, which she covered poorly with a coloured sash. Not that Lightning minded one bit. Infact, it made her wish that Lebreau was the Guardian Corps garrison commander, just so Lightning could be an 'ass-kissing lower rank'. Fantasies aside, what really drew Lightning towards her was her character. Lebreau was a complete enigma to her. Most would never have recognised her to be a soldier. Even Lightning herself would never have picked up on it had she not known her through Snow. And the amount of loss she had suffered during The Purge alone made the personal losses Lighting could count on a single hand look childish in comparison. And yet here she was. A carefree bubbly barmaid. It puzzled Lightning to no end over how Lebreau appeared upbeat and cheery while she brooded for all the world to see(albeit alittle less when she was in the bar).

"Here ya go." Lebreau cheered, returning with a grape coloured beverage in a fleuro blue glass.

"Thanks." Lightning smiled.

"So about about something to eat?"

"Hmmm..." Lightning pondered out loud as she browsed the menu above the drinks cabinet. "Sunleth Salad."

"Wow. Haven't made one of those for a while. I'll get right on that." Lebreau said as she briefly dissappeared into the back kitchen.

"Don't rush."

Lightning secretly cursed herself for the seductive tone she used(or at least it sounded that way in her head). Somehow, being exposed to Lebreau's flirtateous manneurisms had corrupted her indifferent soldier persona ever so slightly. To the point where some of the comments she made to Lebreau sounded flirty, at least in her head. Lightning considered a leave of abscense from Nora Bar to purify herself. Only problem was that the bar was her only source for a decent meal, with her only other option being to try to cook something(and fail miserably at it). And how else could she keep tabs on Snow without being blatant enough about it to bother Serah? Of course, all this was merely justification to enjoy Lebreau's company, not that anyone needed to know that. Lightning only had time to take a single sip of her drink before the cheery barmaid returned with her dinner-a green salad filled with various edible vegetables found in the Sunleth Forests.

"Thanks again." Lightning repeated, this time trying to sound less monotone with her gratitude.

"Hey, anything for my number 1 customer!" Lebreau winked, as she leant down against the main bar, intent on staying put to chat.

"And I'm serious about that when I say it."

Lightning gave only a light nod in response as she impaled a red mushroom in her salad and gently placed it in her mouth.

"So... Anything interesting happen today?" The barmaid asked.

"Yeah. Got to scare some recruits."

"Don't you guys have drill sergeants for that?"

"We're supposed to. Just that most of them have taken to being friends before sergeants." Lightning complained.

"Yeah, I can see your point. If I wasn't so easy on the boys, I bet I could get some actual help around the bar instead of having them constantly goof off in Maqui's workshop..." Lebreau trailed off.

"...But the times we live in now don't exactly require us to be tough. We've all gone soft with the peace we've been enjoying. Even you, Light."

Had anyone else suggested that she was going soft, Lightning would've fed them a right fist just to show them how soft she was. And yet in Lebreau's presence, she could not so much as even direct an angry tone of voice at her. Even in the back of her mind, she could only curse at herself for being so weak around her.

"I'm just worried that someday, something bad is gonna happen, and none of us will be prepared for it when it does." Lightning spoke before taking another sip of her drink with a few more mouthfuls of food.

"I can see your point. But you can't spend your life worrying about something that might never happen." Lebreau optimistically countered.

"Actually, it's kinda what I'm getting paid for."

"Well, at least your good at your job." Lebreau shrugged, as she scooted off to serve another customer.

With another sip of her drink, Lightning looked around the room to see that almost everyone else had left. And normally by this time, Snow would have returned from Maqui's Workshop by now-which he hadn't. Come to think of it, Serah would normally be here by now as well, since they both shared the apartment above the bar with Lebreau. She immediately assumed that Snow had taken Serah out on a date. This would've settled most people, but not Lightning. She needed to know where Snow had taken her, and what they were doing so she could be sure that Snow was treating her properly, and Odin hath mercy on his soul if she found out otherwise.

"So speaking of goofers, where's Snow gone to?" Lightning asked Lebreau once she'd finished with her customer.

"Oh, he's taken Serah out on a date." She replied.

"Did I miss something? Since when was Chocobo Hut considered as a romantic outing for people our age?"

Lebreau let out a small giggle, being the only person other than Serah on Gran Pulse who found Lightning's dry sense of humour funny-something that always forced Lightning to bow her head to avoid anyone seeing her blush.

"Actually, they're at that new restaurant that opened near the Acedemia Branch."

"The One Winged Angel?" Lightning questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's it. I'm surprised you know about it." Lebreau giggled nervously.

Lebreau was a woman of many talents. Lying however, was not one of them.

"One of the Captains that report to me talks about it all the time. It's where he does all his womanising, so I know it's no restaurant." Lightning said as she narrowed her eyes at Lebreau.

"They told me it was!" Lebreau tried to re-assure Lightning, despite her transfixing glare seeing right through her feigned ignorance.

Light mercifully broke off her glare and sighed deeply. Had she found this out from anyone else, Lightning would've instantly stormed off to rescue her sister before they had a chance to say 'they made me promise not to tell'. But for Lebreau's sake, she held back the raging storm of her temper.

"You know I'm not happy about the idea of the two of them getting wasted in some nightclub." Lightning calmly lectured before finishing a few more mouthfuls of salad.

"Y'know, you should try and put alittle more trust in those two."

"How can I? What, with all the assault reports my men on Civil Protection file involving nightclubs. In fact, knowing Snow, I wouldn't be surprised if I find his name on one of those reports. And if that happens, I swear by Odin, that-" Lightning's voice increased slightly in volume from frustration.

"Trust me Light. That's not going to happen." Lebreau said in a stern, yet calming tone as she reached out to place a hand on Lightning's shoulder.

Lightning could only sigh as her violent mood melted away at the touch of Lebreau's warm hand. Aside from Serah, Lebreau was the only one who could instantly quell Lightning's temper.

"I'm sorry Breau. I just... Well you know ho much I care about my sister." Lightning struggled to justify her outburst.

"Honey, I know how you feel. And I care just as much as you do about Serah." Lebreau said in a re-assuring tone, causing Lightning's face to turn the colour of her hair at the word 'Honey'.

"But sometimes, being over protective can do more harm than good."

"I know." Was all lightning could say as she tended to the last of her salad.

Although she'd opened up to Lebreau on a casual level, Lightning continued to do what she'd always done with her personal problems. She bottled them up, and kept them away from everyone else. Even in these days of peace. Her pride as a soldier dictated her to never be seen as weak. Even to her former L'Cie comrades, and especially to Lebreau.

"Hey, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to pay now." Lightning asked.

"Light, you know I'm happy to feed you on the house." Lebreau offered.

"I'd be happier if you'd let me do my part to keep my watering hole running." Lightning insisted.

With a sigh of defeat, Lebreau handed Lightning a gil transaction unit. Lightning then pulled out her card from one of the tiny satchels in her pocket and scanned it in the machine. After punching a few numbers into the holo-display, her transaction was complete. Before Lightning could contemplate another thought, the entrance burst open to reveal an intoxicated Snow and Serah. Thankfully, only Lightning and Lebreau were there to witness it, as anyone else had already left prior. The former dressed in a smart leather jacket and matching pants, whilst the later was dressed in a cute pink one piece dress with matching thigh high legwarmers. Lightning admitted that she looked cute-at least she would have without the shameless half-coherent face she wore from too much liquor.

"Honey, we're hooome!" Snow shouted, barely holding himself up with Lightning's sister leaning on him ready to fall.

"Oh hey sis! I didn't know you moved in. W-when did you move in?" Serah asked, barely putting her sentence together.

Lebreau giggled at the endearing couple before shifting her focus to Lightning, who was far less amused.

"Hey Breau... Y'think y'could maybe y'could uhhh... close the bar up early? Just that Serah an I have a few issues to work out, and we may probably make alotta noise." Snow asked.

Snow mercifully used a double entendre to describe what they were planning to do, though it did little to numb the sting of the reality. They were going to have sex. Snow was going to have sex with her sister. The idea and imagery played over and over again like a looped recording in Lightning's mind, causing her to grip her knees almost tight enough to break them. Even despite fighting side by side with Snow and saving Cocoon with him, Lightning still found the idea of him doing those things with her sister repulsive.

"Hey hey hey!" Serah chanted. "Y'know, I'm not sure they understand whatcha mean."

"Basically, we're gonna go FU-"

"Serah!" Lebreau cut in as she gracefully vaulted over the bar.

"We totally get what you mean! Now you two hurry along upstairs and... work out your issues." Lebreau urged, sparing Lightning from her sister's graphic description.

"Oooookey Dokey." Snow replied as he scooped Serah up in his arms and staggered up the stairs at the other end of the main bar.

"Thanks, Breau." Lightning said softly once she was sure Snow and Serah couldn't hear her.

"I know you don't like the idea of them being together thrown in your face like this..." Lebreau replied.

"But this could've been a lot worse. Snow could've come back with another girl..."

The Pinkett soldier knew what Lebreau was implying. Deep down, she knew her reasons for openly resenting Snow for being with her sister stemmed from childish jealousy-no matter how mature she tried to make it sound. Lebreau had a way with words that forced her to see this fact, but her pride always won out in the end, and she continued her hostility towards Snow(albeit with less intensity around the barmaid). Lightning sometimes wondered just how transparent she seemed to her. Often, something she said would shake Lightning to the core, often bringing about yet another sleepless night wondering if the barmaid had figured out something she didn't want others to know. Lightning stared at the ground contemplating these thoughts, when she felt Lebreau's eyes burning into her skull.

"Hey Light?" she asked, with a nervous tone different to when she was caught out lying about Snow and Serah's whereabouts.

Lightning looked up to see a bashful looking Lebreau with her hands behind her back, and her shoulders tensed up. She had to fight off a blush over how adorable the barmaid looked there. It also confused Lightning. She'd never seen the normally confident barmaid act this way before.

"Would it be OK if I hung out with you at your place for a while? They're gonna go at it like behemoths all night long, and I really don't wanna spend the night trying to block out the noise."

Lightning's eyes widened at Lebreau's request. The idea of guests was daunting enough as it is, with the only people to have ever visited her house being Serah and Snow. The fact that it was Lebreau, whom she'd been harbouring unrequitted love for was something that she might not ever be ready for. Lightning wracked her brain for an excuse, as she could not bring herself leave her response as 'no' like she could with everyone else. Her mind struggled to pick between deskwork and early morning, only to be interrupted by the unmistakable sound of giggling from upstairs.

"_Please"_ Lebreau worded silently.

Lightning's resolve shattered when she saw the desperation in the barmaid's eyes. Had their roles been reversed, Lebreau would've offered Lightning an escape from the sounds of Gran Pulse's mating season without a second thought. Leaving Lebreau at the bar now, would've meant yet another sleepless night feeling guilty about it, followed by prefusely apologising out of character for it the next evening. Despite the soldier side of her conscience telling her to just leave, Lightning found herself making what would either the best, or worst decision of her life.

"Sure"

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><p>aaand, we're done. So I'm gonna leave all the main notes on the foot of the second chapter.<p>

...

why are you still here? Go read it, lol. XD


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, you mean you actually clicked over to the second chapter? Well, since I've kept your interest for this long, you may as well follow it through. Notes are at the bottom.

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><p><span>On a Whim<span>

ACT: 2

Lightning opted to wait outside whilst Lebreau went about closing the bar with all haste to limit her exposure to 'the sounds of music'. She gazed out at the beach that Lebreau's bar had overlooked. Whilst she didn't show it, Lightning's head was in chaos. Several voices in Lightning's mind bickered amongst themselves over how to play the night out, occasionally stopping to throw the odd self-loathing taunt.

"_It'll be just fine. No different to having Serah and Snow over"_

"_You just keep telling yourself that, princess. Just TRY to resist the urge to handcuff her to your bed. Your not as strong willed as you make yourself out to be and you know it!"_

"_But you don't even have the guts to go through it anyways. Funny how you can take on a Fal' Cie without twitching, and yet you're intimidated by a dainty little barmaid? What a crock..."_

"_Probably for the best though. You pull something like that on her, and you'll ruin your friendship and make you even more miserable than you are now. Not that anyone would notice..."_

"Light?" Lebreau startled Lightning by tapping her on right shoulder.

"Ummm... how exactly did you get here?"

"I walked. The guardian corps branch isn't that far from here." Lightning responded.

"Yeah but, isn't your house like outta town? Don't tell me you're gonna force march me back to yours." Lebreau complained.

"Would you rather be inside with the behemoths?"

"Don't make me choose." Lebreau pouted with her hands on her hips.

"Fine. I guess it's no ride on Odin's back for you then." Lightning shruged.

Although no longer L'cie, Lightning, Snow, Hope, and Sazh all retained their powers through their bonds with their Eidolons. The last time she summoned the majestic figure of Odin, was over a year ago during a massive monster raid that threatened to overrun New Bodhum. Today, she used Odin to get to work over a perfectly inconspicuous velocycle on what seemed like a whim. Summoning Odin infront of Lebreau didn't register much of a thought in Lightning's mind, as Lebreau was there when she last did it. She was too busy trying to figure out why her mental defenses weren't intercepting the jovial banter being spewed from her mouth. Blocking those thoughts out momentarily, She uttered the name of her Eidolon. Her voice echoed, causing an arcane magic circle to materialise infront of her. The brilliant golden light eminating from it is enough to block out the nightlights of the entire city. Then from the light, stepped out a golden mechanical warhorse. Its multiple eyes burned like embers, as the gate it emerged from dissipated. Then, as if to announce his arrival on the battlefield, Odin reared his front hooves up and let out a mighty scream. Lebreau could only stare in awe and shock. Awe over once again seeing the heavenly avatar that once saved New Bodhum. Shock over Lightning's Audacity to conjure such a being in public. Lightning on the otherhand, casually lept onto the golden steed as if she were about to ride a chocobo.

"alright then." Lightning said from atop Odin as she extended a hand out to Lebreau. "You coming or not?"

"Yeah. Let's get out of here before everyone comes to see the lightshow."

Lebreau accepted Lightning's hand to pull her on to Odin's back behind her. The barmaid then fastened her arms around the soldier's waist, earning an unseen blush from Lightning.

"You ready?" She asked, receiving a nod from Lebreau as a response.

"LET'S RIDE!" Upon her command, Odin reared up once more, causing Lebreau to yelp and grip on to Lightning alittle tighter. With another scream, he took off like a rapid gale.

Lightning felt a sense of ease wash over her as Odin ferried her and Lebreau away from the lights of New Bodhum City. She couldn't quite put a finger on why. Maybe it was the cool air whipping wildly through her hair. Maybe the cocktail Lebreau poured for her finally decided to kick in. Maybe it was the barmaid's warm body pressed tightly against her back. Maybe, it just didn't matter. The last time she felt this peaceful was when she was reunited with her sister after the events of Cocoon. Lightning felt content enough to ride through the fields of Gran Pulse for an eternity, however she know that they'd soon arrive at her lonely abode within minutes. Sure enough, Lightning's home of over 6 months came into view. A large, but quaint dome shaped building overlooking the beach, the ocean, and the Crystal Pillar of Cocoon beyond that. Odin slowed his pace as they closed in on the building, revealed to be at least two stories, large enough comfortably house 5 people. Maybe more. And it was all Lightning's and only hers. Eventually Odin stopped a few meters away from the front door. Lightning was the first to hop down from his back, before turning to help an exhausted, yet content Lebreau off. Her knees began to wobble when her feet touched the ground. Lebreau uncontrollably tumbled forward, causing Lightning to spin around and intercept the jelly-legged barmaid's unceremonious descent. Lebreau ended face first in Lightning's chest, while the latter had lowered herself to her knees to support the former's delicate form. Her first thought was whether or not Lebreau was conscious. She didn't register a second thought when her warm breath penetrated Lightning's 3 layers of clothing.

"Hey! You OK?" Lightning panickingly asked, forcing herself out of her trance.

"Sorry Light. I guess I'm not used to going so fast like that." Lebreau said sheepishly, as she rose her head from her makeshift airbags.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't damn fun though!"

She dismissed Odin, who galloped back into the ether via another magic portal that vanished as he passed through it. She then propped Lebreau back on her feet. Although some feeling had returned to her legs, she couldn't quite walk on her own power yet. Lightning supported her by wrapping her right arm around Lebreau's waist, while Lebreau hung her left over Lighning's shoulder. They both hobbled over to the front door of Lightning's home, as Lebreau's legs regained more functionality with each step.

"OWNER VERIFICATION, PLEASE." An electronic voice demanded as they reached the front door.

Releasing her embrace with Lebreau, Lightning extended her hand out towards the door. Suddenly, several green glyphs began to spin around her wrist. As they increased in speed, they began to emit a small pulsating light, before blinking themselves out of existence.

"WELCOME HOME, COMMANDER FARRON." the voice greeted, causing the front door to retract on command.

Both Lightning and Lebreau stepped through the door to the main living room whilst the electronic voice droned through the time, date, weather, and various other things that Lightnin could care less about. The room itself was fairly large, complete with all the necessary creature comforts, yet the furniture looked decidedly basic. The main colour of the room was white, with the marble floorboards being black, and most of the furniture red. The light sources came from panels on the walls and ceiling that resembled the shape of speaker amps. Lightning lazily tossed her gunblade holster and side satchel on a nearby couch. Meanwhile Lebreau looked about the place in appreciation of her surroundings.

"This place is amazing." Lebreau complimented.

"It's got its charms..." Lightning half-acknowledged, as she made her way to the kitchen area.

"Something to drink?" She asked as she inspected the contents of her fridge.

"Sure." Came the reply.

In stark contrast to her home, the interior of her fridge looked inpoverished. A few health drinks and some ready-made meals(On the off chance the NORA bar was closed) was all it could offer her. Giving up on the fridge, Lightning began to scour her pantries for a suitable beverage, when her eyes landed on an unopened bottle of Oerban Brandy she'd gotten from Serah for her last birthday. She had insisted on leaving it untouched until the 'right time'. But acting on a whim once more, she decided that tonight would serve as 'the right time', knowing she probably wouldn't live to see her original reason for leaving it untouched.

_Don't hate me for this, Fang. But I'll be in Valhalla long before you wake up again-or even if..._

Fighting back her wave of sadness, Lightning suddenly jumped into battle-plan mode. Having finally removed the bottle out of its packaging, she noted that it was still luke-warm and probably not that pleasant to drink yet. With her thoughts being vaguely led by instinct, she retrieved a small steel bucket from under her kitchen sink, and placed the bottle inside it. Next, she took the bucket to her freezer, and began scooping the excess amount of ice cubes she kept until the bottle was half-submerged in ice. Finally, she doubled back to the pantry to remove a box of crackers, a small white plate, and two fancy lime coloured thick glasses. Finally, she visited her fridge one last time to take a dip which she hoped to hell hadn't past its use by date, before placing it in the middle of the plate, and deploying the crackers around it. Lightning stepped back to admire her handwork, then finally left the kitchen holding the bucket in her left hand, and the plate of crackers in her right.

"Oh? What's this?" Lebreau inquired about the assortments in Lightning's hands.

"Our drink." Lightning answered.

"There's a viewing platform upstairs I thought we could share this at." Lightning imediately followed up with, trying not to let herself get caught in an awkward silence.

"We don't have to, Light. Right here would be OK." Lebreau said, resting her hand on the empty place on the couch.

"Trust me. You'll like this." Lightning insisted.

Lebreau gave in, and followed Lightning up a set of stairs, and through a door on their left into what appeared to an outdoor entertaining area, furnished with several comfy deckchairs placed close to the guardrails, a table in the middle of the room, and several other pieces of miscellaneous furniture. Spotlights placed strategically in the corners of the room illuminated the area upon their arrival, revealing that although the room was designed to be an outdoor entertainment area, it was completely walled in. Lebreau wore a confused look on her face before Lightning spoke the words "Extend". Suddenly, the wall closest to the guard rails began to open, revealing the Crystal Pillar of Cocoon standing proudly against the night sky. The spotlights on the platform died down in response, deciding that the light eminating from the pillar was sufficient enough. Finally, the floor itself began to slide out of the opening in the wall, advancing three quarters of the way out to the chorus of mechanical instruments doing their work underneath the floor. Finally, the floor had come to a halt. The strange room had completed its transformation. Lightning couldn't help but feel slightly proud of her home(and alittle smug about it), as Lebreau gazed around in pure astonishment.

"Wow Light. This is... I mean, just. Wow."

"I said you'd like it." Lightning smiled.

Lightning wondered over to a small table that was placed between the two deckchairs near the guardrails. She neatly put the bucket and the plate of crackers on it, before removing the bottle of brandy, and the two glasses from it. She then filled both cups full of ice, before pouring the liquorice textured fluid into both glasses. Lightning then settled into the deckchair on the left, whilst Lebreau, now seemingly less overwhelmed, settled into the right.

"This view is wonderful, Light." Lebreau complimented, as she took her glass. "Hell, your whole house is wonderful. The stories Snow and Serah have told me don't do it justice"

"Like I said, the place has its charms."Lightning spoke, as she took a sip of her brandy. "This is probably my favorite part of the house though. I spend alotta time here each night. It reminds me of everything we've fought for. And how close we almost came to losing it."

"Light. You, Snow, Hope, and Sazh are the reason we're all here today." Lebreau replied, as she took a few crackers from the plate. "You might never be officially recognised for it, but all of this, is thanks to you guys."

"That's not entirely true..." Lightning sincerely corrected, taking another mouthful of her drink.

The small deviations Lightning had made from her routine tonight, had already made a substantial difference for the better up to this point. Lightning failed to see the harm in making one more. Although she had cried all the tears she had over Fang and Vanille's sacrifice, it still wore heavily on her conscience. She never spoke about it-even to those that were there. Even to Serah. Not bothering to question whether or not alcohol was dictating her motives, Lightning felt it was time to release this burden off her shoulders-even if Lebreau didn't understand its significance.

"What do you mean?" Lebreau asked, before engulfing the crackers in her hand.

"Has Snow ever told you about Fang and Vanille?"

"No. He's never mentioned them." Lebreau answered, finishing her mouthful of food.

"Doesn't suprise me. Can't say I blame him for not doing so. It's not something Snow and I like to talk about to those who weren't there with them. I'm pretty sure that Hope and Sazh feel the same way. "

"So who exactly were they then? Fellow comrades?" Lightning now had Lebreau's full attention.

"Yeah. You could say that. They were both half-sisters, native to Pulse..." Lightning started, taking yet another sip of her drink.

"... and they had both slept in crystal for over 500 years."

"So, they'd been L'cie before. I thought that once you go crystal or Cie'th, that was it." Lebreau said, washing her food down with another mouthful of brandy.

"Well, that's what we were taught in school, but the Pulsians had a better understanding of L'Cie and Fal'Cie. Fang told us that it's possible for a Fal'Cie to wake a crystalised L'Cie to give them a new focus. And that's exactly what happened. They were given our focus-to destroy Cocoon."

"Destroy Cocoon?" Lebreau repeated, almost choking on her drink.

"Yeah. That's the focus we were all given. Although we all collectively fought against it, we would've played right into the Fal'Cie's hands if it wasn't for those two." Lightning spoke, her voice sounding sadder with each word.

"We destroyed Orphen, and with it, the power that kept Cocoon afloat. It all looked hopeless until Vanille and Fang seperated from us. Together, they turned into Ragnarok, and formed the very pillar we're looking at tonight."

"Ragnarok. As in, 'the end of days Ragnarok'?" Lebreau asked.

"Yeah. That's the one. It's amazing when you think about it. Cocoon and it's people's saviour coming in the form of the creature said to ensure their destruction, created by two people who had every reason and desire follow through on the Fal'Cie's wishes." Lightning's Cynicism now brought to the forefront in her tone of voice.

"And... Where are they now?" Lebreau cautiously asked the next question.

Lightning said nothing, and simply pointed at the Crystal Pillar.

"The crystal they both share, is what's keeping us safe right now." She then said.

"And you feel guilty about it, right?"

"Yeah. I do. The rest of us, Serah and Dahj included, got released from crystal slumber without a new focus, and got a happily ever after, just for coming along for the ride. While Vanille and Fang's reward for actually saving us, is an eternity locked in crystal..." Lightning trailed off.

"You feel this way because you were close to them, weren't you?" Lightning nodded in response to the barmaid's question.

"I understand how you feel, Lightning. I... lost alotta close friends at Hanging Edge..." Lebreau trailed off as she finished her drink.

"I'm sorry, Breau. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, Light." Lebreau smiled, as she hopped off her chair, and aproached the guardrails.

"I remember something my Mom said to me once. She told me to always treasure the memories we share with our loved ones, so that when they finally do pass on, we can see them out without any regrets. In a way, our former NORA comrades, are still with me in my memories." Lebreau turned to Lightning on her last sentence, showing a smile that looked uncomfortably forced for someone as naturally cheery as her.

"Still..." She said, turning sight back towards the crystal pillar.

"I find myself thinking sometimes. Maybe if I'd done something differently, maybe if I'd fought that little bit harder, then... then maybe some of those who died during The Purge might be with us today..." The growing shakiness in her voice revealed the tell-tale signs of oncoming tears.

It was then that Lightning realised that she shared a lot more similarities with Lebreau than she realised. Both women had built up walls around their own feelings, denying the outside world access to their troubles. The difference between them, was the methods they used. Lightning preferred the purity of solitude for the most part. She buried herself in her job, and only engaged others when she felt it was absolutely necessary. Lebreau on the otherhand, dove headfirst into everyone else's problems. Acting as a sympathetic ear, and a shoulder to cry on, she thought that she might soothe her own troubled mind by remedying the problems of those around her. And Whilst Lightning cryed her tears alone over Vanille and Fang, Lebreau had refused herself even that small comfort. Lightning could only be impressed with the resiliance the barmaid had shown up to this point. But even the mightiest fortresses crumble with time...

"Breau..." Lightning stood up from her chair, and slowly walked towards Lebreau.

"But... I need to be stronger than this. For those of us who are still here. For Gadot, Maqui, and Yuj..." Lebreau sniffled between her sentence. "And even Snow and Serah. I've... I've..."

Lightning was now close enough to her Lebreau's sobbing. Without saying another word, she placed a hand over Lebreau's shoulder. She froze at Lightning's touch for a few seconds, before violently spinning around to face her. Her tearstreaked facial features were distraught. Lebreau was on the verge of breaking.

"Damnit Lightning! Why can't I do it? Why can't I be more like you? Why-" She shouted in frustration.

However, her words were cut short when Lightning pulled her into a warm embrace. Lebreau didn't even try to fight her off. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Lightning's back, and buried her face into her right shoulder, pouring out all the grief she'd held back for so long.

"You don't want to be like me." Lightning said to her softly, as she gently ran her fingers through the back of lebreau's raven hair.

"You don't want to build the walls I have. You don't want to shut people out like I did..." Her voice barely above a whisper as her lips travelled perilously close to Lebreau's earlobe.

"there is nothing wrong with crying. It means you're still human." Lebreau's crying gradually lowered its intensity with every word the Pinkett Soldier spoke to her. "It means you're still alive, and still human. And trust me when I tell you that those things are worth a lot more than people give them credit for."

Lightning gently brought Lebreau's face up from out of her shoulder, noticing she looked much more calm now. Lightning proceeded to gently wipe away the remaining tears on Lebreau's cheek with her thumbs. Her heart began to sound like a battle drum, as a tingling sensation sparked upon the tips of her fingers in response to touching Lebreau the way she was. She almost lost herself in that moment when she realised that she'd dried Lebreau's tears several times over. Lightning gasped under her breath when she realised that Lebreau had moved her hands to rest firmly on Lighting's sides. She could feel the barmaid's chestnut eyes longingly glaring into her soul. And below her clearly flushed cheeks, a light pucker had formed on her lips.

It was impossible to count the millions of thoughts racing through Lightning's head at this point. Although Lebreau had managed to force the odd hug or two out of Lightning when nobody was looking in the past, they'd never held each other this passionately before. More to the point, it had occurred to her that she'd never kissed anyone before. All the boundaries she put between herself and everyone else made sure of that. Finally, although they hadn't drunk enough liquor to distort their sense of selves, Lighting could definitely feel the devious alcoholic buzz in her head-if only slightly. She was unsure of how strong Lebreau's mental defenses were against the demon drink causing her to question whether the barmaid's last few actions were really her, or simply the Oerban Brandy commandeering her body.

Silencing the blarring noise of her throughts, Lighting cautiously lurched forward. In this moment, the soldier wanted nothing more than to release the burden of her crush on Lebreau, for better or worse. Lightning puckered her lips, and felt a jolt shoot down her spine when they made contact with Lebreau's. With their body masses no longer pressed together, Lightning rested her hands on Lebreau's shoulders, giving the barmaid enough room to shove her away once she came to her senses. Her eyes closed, Lightning awaited the inevitable hard push back to reality... that never came.

Instead, she felt Lebreau's lips part as her tongue came forth to massage Lightning's lips. The moist feel against Lightning's own lips forced them to part open, allowing Lebreau to secure the kiss properly. Lebreau's hands now wandered underneath Lightning's coat finding the bare skin of her lower back. She could only let out a small gasp before Lebreau pulled their bodies together again. At that moment, a gentle wind blew over the two of them, as if the elements of nature itself had been waiting for this moment the whole time. The sensation of their passionately burning bodies pressed together combined with the fresh breeze, caused Lightning to throw all sense of caution, and reasoning out the door. She now had her arms around Lebreau's neck once more, with her right hand now supporting the back of her head. If anyone happened to be spying on their fiery embrace, they'd be fooled into thinking that Lightning held dominance, having Lebreau pinned between her and the guardrail. In truth, it was Lebreau was the one steering. All Lightning could do was accommodate the barmaid's tongue as it made itself home within Lightning's mouth. The next few kisses they shared in their embrace lost their heated desperation, and became more gental and loving as they both reached a synchrodicity that could never be achieved with mere words. Eventually, the need to breathe prevailed. Their last kiss breaking with a light clicking of their lips. Still locked in their embrace, the two of them gazed into each other's eyes silently, while their lungs re-aquired oxygen.

"How long?" Lightning broke the silence.

"Well... that depends on what you're asking..." Lebreau bashfully replied, still catching her breath from their kisses. "How long have I liked you, or how long did I know you liked me back."

"Oh?" Was all Lightning could say as she let the ramifications of Lebreau's reply sink into a thought pattern already scrambled by their kiss.

Lightning broke from their embrace, and returned to her deckchair, leading Lebreau gently by the hand. She settled herself back into her seat before Lebreau settled into Lightning's lap. She favoured Lightning's unclothed right shoulder as headrest over the ceremite shoulder pad on her left. Lightning completed their new hold by wrapping her arms around Lebreau's abdomen.

"So then..." Lightning purred into Lebreau's ear. "When did you start liking me?"

"Well... I'd always admired your reputation as a guardian corps soldier. And even more so when Snow introduced me to you and Serah for the first time."

"mmmm?" Lightning now started to circle around Lebreau's naval with her index finger.

"I guess the first time I started to actually like you, was when we were still defending the settlement against monster attacks. The way you carried yourself in battle. You were as fierce as Snow, but you didn't just go and wing it like he did. You had a plan, for everything. And they always seemed to work..."

"And I could never get tired of watching you move with that gunblade of yours..." Lebreau added, turning her head slightly into the nape of Lightning's neck.

"...And that's really all it took?" Lightning playfully teased.

"Icing on the cake, Light." Lebreau countered. "Now, let's talk about you..."

"Yeah. When did notice that I started liking you back?" Lightning asked, deciding to put the barmaid's initial reply to the test.

"Oh, about a few months ago." Lebreau answered back, having placed her hands over Lightning's. "I noticed it in the way you'd react to some of the compliments I made to you. Or how you'd somehow calm down easier when I was around. Or how you've become slightly less hostile towards Snow since you've been visiting the bar..."

"I think that, somehow all the chipping away at your emotional walls I'd been slowly doing was finally paying off somehow. Although if I didn't take the chance I did tonight, I probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. I guess if I didn't start balling like I did, I would've tried to awkwardly confess to you, and..." Lebreau cut her sentence short.

"Light, I'm really sorry about putting you through that. Just that I held it in for so long that-"

"No. Don't apologize." Lightning cut in, bringing her finger to Lebreau's lips. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I guess I may have set you off after talking about Fang and Vanille..."

"And thanks for listening to all of that. It's... not an easy subject for me to talk about." Lightning said softly.

"Light. That's why I'm here for you. That's why I've always been here for you, but..." Lebreau spoke as she shifted her position on the pinket soldier's lap to sit side on towards her.

"What happens to us now?" Lebreau turned her head towards Lightning with a desperate glint in her eyes.

"Are we supposed supposed pretend that tonight never happened? Because, I don't think I can do it, Light!" Lebreau raised the volume of her voice slightly, not noticing that Lightning was removing her fingerless gloves from behind her.

"Everything about tonight. It feels too right for me to just walk away from. And if you don't feel the same way Light, then you need to tell me right now, because-" Cut short once again as Lightning took Lebreau's with her now ungloved left.

"I think we've both come too far tonight to simply forget about this..." Lightning felt the warm glow of Lebreau's hand as they interlaced.

"If you want to see where this path leads to, then let me walk it with you."

The smile Lightning wore on her face was too much for Lebreau to resist. Without another word, she leant in to share another long kiss in Lightning's arms. Another of many the two women would share before the night was through.

* * *

><p>Aaaand, done.<p>

So, I wanted to keep the post game settings as realistic as possible whilst stopping just shy of that ugly time distortion business that lead to XIII-2. I felt that New Bodhum being a city 2 years after Cocoon's fall isn't entirely unrealistic, considering technological templates that the humans had after the fall, and hey. Hope is a smart cookie. As for Lightning still having her powers, maybe that part wasn't so realistic. So I made it so that Odin stuck around with her afterwards. Why? because he can I guess. But who am I kidding? All of this is just filler info for the main plot...

I struggled alot her with pacing and dialogue. And even after the hours I spent editing. I'm pretty sure that I still don't have it right. As far as character personalities go, I could've probably done better there too. I know there are more than a few occasions where I forced everyone to deviate from her game character. Though it's less noticable with Lebreau, with her scarce screen time, It's much easier to pick out Lightning's out of character trances. I suppose for fics like this, one needs to write their characters outwards from their personalities alittle, but still...

And drunken Snow and Serah are... drunk. I make no excuses for that.

And with that, I'm off to go play some moar vidya gaems...


End file.
